


They Led Us Through the Dark Like Fireflies

by paynofile



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Horse AU, M/M, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-24
Updated: 2013-06-24
Packaged: 2017-12-16 00:36:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/855770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paynofile/pseuds/paynofile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"A sort of haziness overtook those long-lashed eyes in the dust-filled sunbeams of Rosie’s stall as Zayn buried fingers ever more certainly into the old horse’s coat. When he did turn to Liam, it was with an expression of such freedom that Liam was slightly taken aback- how many different Zayns were there? He added joyful, glowing Zayn to his mental tally."</p><p>Liam's whole life is horses, and for Zayn they are just the first on an unending list of fears he needs to face.</p><p> </p><p>Title from The Wailin' Jennys' "fireflies"</p><p>**DISCLAIMER: All my horse related knowledge comes from the couple years that I rode when I was younger, so some things might be a little off. If you don't know what a term means, feel free to comment and ask, or just google :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	They Led Us Through the Dark Like Fireflies

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so excited about this fic!
> 
> Please leave your comments and tell me what you think, but not much happens in this first chapter, just setting up for future ones.
> 
> The other boys (+ some minor side larry) will be in upcoming chapters, and there will be DELICIOUSLY WONDERFUL SMUT later on, so stick around for that. (I promise no bestiality ew)

A cool breeze was blowing through the drafty barn as the muscular boy ran his fingers over worn-out leather. It felt good in his hands, solid. The saddle was practically an antique; it had been kicking around the farm since before his grandfather, and they didn’t use it anymore, but his father still liked to keep the old thing in good condition. Although Liam thought it was a bit stupid, when he was washing and polishing it he could somewhat see why. He appreciated good quality. A well-made saddle could last you generations if you were careful, and to Liam there was something very true about that- the more effort you put in, the more you get out of it. It was how he liked to live his life, taking the time to do things right. Quality over quantity.

Once he’d finished waxing the saddle, Liam looked over the rest of the day’s schedule. It was much the same as usual: mucking out paddocks, raking the ring, training the miniatures, exercising the older horses, that sort of thing. Then his eyes fell on an entry scrawled beside 4 pm in blue ink: Lesson: Zane (new). He frowned slightly, making his thick brows knit together, and then called out for his father.

“Dad!”

Geoff shouted “coming!” and stepped into the small administration office a few moments later. “What was it you wanted?” he asked.

“What’s this entry?” Liam said, indicating the 4pm session.

“Oh, we’re getting a new rider in. I don’t know much about him, but I think he’s about your age. His parents are loaded, anyway.”

“Zane? What kind of name is that?”

“I have no idea. The kid’s a city slicker, that’s for sure,” his dad muttered with a slight eye roll. “But you can do his lesson. It shouldn’t be too hard. Hopefully he’s got a good head on his shoulders.”

Liam said he’d get a feel for Zane when he saw him later, and added a farewell as he pushed out the wooden door. For some reason this mystery boy stuck in his head though, and multiple times he found himself gazing into space wondering what this mysterious “Zane” person would look like.

 

He got his answer soon enough, of course, when at 4:15 (of course he was late, with a name like that) a car much too shiny for the dirt road setting pulled up in front of their barn and a boy unlike any Liam had seen before glided out. He was perhaps a bit shorter than Liam, with tan skin and hair styled into a ridiculous quiff that Liam couldn’t quite bring himself to hate. As he pulled off his (designer, no doubt) sunglasses, a pair of beautiful dark eyes were revealed, squinting slightly in Liam’s direction.

All of a sudden the farm boy felt underdressed. He couldn’t help thinking that he should have something nicer on than a pair of torn jeans and a tight-fitting t-shirt, when the boy in front of him looked like he could have stepped straight out of a Marc Jacobs catalogue.

“Um, hello,” Liam began, extending a hand. The boy took it tentatively and shook once, staring Liam directly in the eyes as if trying to read his mind.

“I’m Zayn. I’m here for the riding lessons?”

“Yes, of course, I’ve been expecting you. I’m Liam.” He cleared his throat and continued, “uh, you can just leave your car there if you want. Follow me.”

He spun around and paced back to the office building, checking over his shoulder every few seconds under the pretense of making sure the new rider was following him, but with the actual goal of catching a glimpse of the way he walked.

Building was probably putting it a bit nicely for the office. It was really a glorified shed, boasting a desk, a computer that took eons to boot up, and a filing cabinet. It was to there that Liam headed, leaving Zayn in the doorway to silently scan the various maps and horse-related art on the cluttered walls. After a moment, he pulled a manila folder with “ZANE MALIK” printed carefully on it, and passed it over the desk.

“You just have to make sure the contact and emergency info we have for you is correct on here,” he said, passing a pen along with the folder.

“Well,” Zayn began, smirking down that the folder, “I do have one change right off the bat.” He leaned down and crossed out the word “ZANE”, replacing it with “Zayn” in an artistic scribbly sort of writing that actually rather suited him. Liam blinked at the change. Zayn? Really? As if the boy’s name wasn’t enough without the y. He would be the sort to have some sort of strangely spelt name Liam thought to himself, and then realized that he had no idea what sort of person Zayn-with-a-y was. However, that was a situation he intended to remedy immediately.

Zayn read over his information quickly, but aside from the large name written on the front of the folder, everything was correct. With that, Liam led him out of the office and over to the stable. As they walked, Liam asked what kind of experience Zayn had with horses.

“Not much, really. I think I might have had a pony ride when I was little, but I’ve not ever really ridden.”

“Ok, not a problem. We have lots of beginners that ride here, you’ll be in good hands,” Liam turned to glance at him with an honest smile, “I’ll put you on Rosie, she’s really gentle.”

Zayn attempted a smile back, but his eyes told a different story. He swallowed hard, and Liam tilted his head slightly, examining the expression. “Are you okay?” he finally asked.

“Uh, yeah,” Zayn laughed. “I’m just a little, uh, scared, I guess. Of horses.” His huge eyes shifted to his feet that were scuffing the soil absently where the two boys had come to a stop. He glanced up at the taller boy and the tight set of his lip betrayed the fear that he was trying hard to play off casually. Liam had seen plenty of cases like Zayn, plenty of scared first-timers. It was no big deal. He reached out his hand and set it gently on Zayn’s leather-adorned shoulder.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s normal to be a bit nervous. I’ll help you through it all.”

Although Zayn flinched slightly at the unexpected touch, when he spoke again his tone was more even, and they set off again toward the stable. “Thanks. It’s just a bit embarrassing.”

 

Zayn held a curry comb in one hand and a body brush in the other, and was staring between them like they were an algebra problem. “It’s okay if you don’t know how to use them,” Liam said, straightening up from pulling out his own brushes, “they’re a little different than hairbrushes.” This last bit was said with a grin, eyeing Zayn’s immaculately coiffed hairstyle.

“Right,” Zayn agreed, with a determined set to his face. “So, uh, how do we start?”

“Well, I’m going to teach you to ride properly. I’m not just going to toss you on Rosie’s back and hope for the best.”

Zayn snorted at this, but the flash of his eyes displayed how utterly terrifying this image was.

“So we’re starting with grooming,” Liam continued, “It’s important to brush your horse properly before each time you tack up: get all the loose hair and dust out of their coat.” Zayn gripped the brushes a little tighter and nodded fervently, as if he was memorizing all the words. It was a bit of a funny sight, really, to Liam. This seemingly bad boy sporting a blonde streak and skinny jeans, reduced to an almost childlike state as he absorbed new information. Liam decided he liked it. He liked this version of Zayn, possibly even more than the tough fashionista one.

Once Liam had given him a quick rundown on the equipment, he heaved open Rosie’s stall and gestured Zayn inside. The other boy took a deep breath and stepped into the small room. He immediately pressed his back against the wall as far away from the horse as possible, and Liam could hear his breathing quicken slightly. And yes, maybe Liam had to twist his head away to hide the smile that was spreading there, but Zayn didn’t need to know that, at least not yet.

Rosie was calmly eating out of her feed bucket in the corner; she hadn’t even looked up when the door slid open, she was that trusting. Liam crossed to her in an easy movement and ran his calloused hands along her soft coat. She was a beautiful horse: a palomino with a particularly light coat and a white stripe running down the centre of her face. It was this stripe that Liam rubbed now, giving her a little extra scratch under her forelock and behind her ears until she was bucking up into his hand with pleasure and huffing hot breath onto his arm. The boy giggled and pulled her head into his body, patting her firmly on her muscular neck. He turned to look at Zayn, and the expression that greeted him was fear with a touch of wonderment thrown in. Liam offered him a tentative smile, and reached out a hand, welcoming him over. For a long moment Zayn stared at the outstretched hand, and then hesitantly pushed off from the wall and placed his fingers in Liam’s. The taller boy tugged him closer to Rosie, and shifted his grip on Zayn’s hand so that his palm was against the other hand’s back and held it gently but firmly. The locked hands moved together until the pads of Zayn’s fingers were grazing short cream-coloured hairs. Liam controlled the movement, tracing unsure fingers along thick, soft skin, and then pressing Zayn’s hand fully against her flank. At this point he finally took a second to acknowledge the feeling of Zayn’s smooth, warm skin against his hand. It was something he could get used to, he found himself thinking, but quickly dismissed the notion. He should be focused on getting the other boy comfortable around horses, not on this silly little crush or whatever it was. Keep it professional, Payne, he glued into his mind like a mantra. 

Finally, he released Zayn’s hand (however reluctantly) and let him pet the horse on his own time. As Zayn explored the feeling of his hands on this foreign creature, Liam allowed himself a glance at the angular features of his face. The glance quickly turned into a look, which turned into a stare. A sort of haziness overtook those long-lashed eyes in the dust-filled sunbeams of Rosie’s stall as Zayn buried fingers ever more certainly into the old horse’s coat. When he did turn to Liam, it was with an expression of such freedom that Liam was slightly taken aback- how many different Zayns were there? And would he get a chance to meet them all? He added joyful, glowing Zayn to his mental tally and then started prattling some shit about the correct ways to pet a horse, mainly to cover up the fuzziness that had crept onto his face as he watched Zayn.

After about a half hour lesson on brushing (successful) and hoof-picking (not so successful- Zayn couldn’t quite grasp how to pinch the leg properly to get Rosie to lift her foot, which had led to a lot of pulling pointlessly at a hoof that wasn’t going to rise), Liam elected that they should save actually riding for their next lesson and just practice leading today. This was actually a good suggestion, but Liam’s motives were not entirely pure- if he got Zayn to agree to that, he’d be guaranteed at least one more lesson with him. As he went to fetch a lead and halter, Liam pondered how many lessons he could stall before he’d have to get Zayn onto the horse’s back.

Liam held Rosie’s head in place while Zayn slipped on the halter, and then clipped the lead on underneath Rosie’s jaw. He led her out of the stall, Zayn hovering at his shoulder, and onto the dirt area between the ring and the stable. Their farm had seen better days, but it was still one of the best on the area. In addition to the smaller, covered ring they had a large open air arena and an indoor round ring for one-on-one training. Off to one side there was a large pasture they used for grazing and housing for the Clydesdales and that they now and then set up jumps and obstacles in and used for natural terrain riding practice. Behind the stable there were the paddocks and beyond them the administration office and Liam and Geoff’s home. The land on which it was situated even bordered a forest, so trail rides were easy and abundant. Liam opted for the smaller, covered arena for today, and led Rosie into it. He passed the lead to Zayn while he closed the gate, and looked back to see the boy with the slightly deflated quiff gripping the rope so tight his knuckles stood out like mountaintops across the tan valley of his hands. Liam couldn’t quite hold back his snort at Zayn’s death grip on a horse that was far more interested in chewing the remnants of feed in its mouth than running away. Hearing the short laugh, Zayn’s eyes flicked to him and his voice oozed resentment as he said “would you mind?” That, of course, made Liam laugh harder and the sight of Liam in the throes of giggles had even Zayn releasing a soft chuckle.

 

The leading lesson went well. Once Zayn managed to get over his fear of Rosie stepping on his feet he was actually quite a quick study. It helped, of course, that Liam was an exceptional teacher. They covered all the basic rope technique stuff and even did a bit of longeing. By the end, Liam could barely believe this was the same boy who had pulled up in his shiny car and designer sunglasses just over an hour before. His quiff had fallen down and his bangs now danced above his sparkling eyes, which were riveted to the horse with fascination now, moreso than fear. The fear still flickered behind his pupils, though, and it emerged a few times in the lesson when Rosie did something unexpected. As the two boys brushed the old horse down again, back in her stall, Liam made an attempt at conversation.

“So, uh, what made you want to start riding?” he said, gaze carefully fixed on the dandy brush in his hand instead of those damn cheekbones that he knew were just breaths away.

Zayn hesitated, glanced at the floor, scuffed his boot into the soiled hay, coughed. “I needed a change,” he began. His mouth hovered open as if he was on the brink of a word for a moment, and then he spoke again, “Things aren’t so great with, yknow, my, uh,” He glanced at the window and fiddled with a silver ring on his right thumb. “My family,” he finished finally with a sigh.

“Oh.” Liam didn’t know what to say. He kicked himself mentally for bringing it up. “Sorry.”

Zayn’s deep brown eyes pierced Liam’s lighter ones when he looked up this time. It was nearly enough to send the taller boy reeling with shock and a relentless, pointless desire. “It’s fine. I’ll be okay. I just needed to sort some shit out, and I guess I thought this might be the easiest fear to face.”

Liam nodded slowly, although he didn’t fully understand, and went back to brushing the tired mare.

They finished their work in silence, and Liam couldn’t quite tell if it was friendly or uncomfortable.

 

Liam escorted Zayn to his car and told him he’d look forward to seeing him again, promising that next time Zayn would get to actually ride. This statement produced that now almost-familiar mix of fear and excitement that Liam had categorized as “anxious Zayn” on his growing mental list.

Just as Liam was mumbling some half-formed goodbye and turning back toward the barn, he felt a hand clamp onto his forearm and spun back to where Zayn, messy fringe and dark eyes and all, was waiting with a lip slightly bitten and brows tight together.

“Thank you,” he said after a moment of silence. “I really enjoyed this.”

Liam’s smile overtook his entire face and spurred a surprisingly soft one on Zayn’s sharp features. “I’ll see you next week,” Liam said gently.

“Right,” Zayn answered.

The feeling hung for a moment, until Zayn gave the taller boy’s arm a last squeeze and slid into his fancy car. As it sped away, kicking up clouds of dust in its wake, Liam pushed dusty fingers through his short brown hair and released a breath that he must have been holding. He shook his head slightly, and turned back toward the barn with a head full of a certain boy with impossibly immaculate eyelashes and the promise of Zayn’s lesson next week.

He could already feel that this was the start of something big, even if he didn’t know quite what yet.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> I'm on tumblr at populiam.tumblr.com come say hi!


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